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| Need help! Test bench equipment recommendations. $2k+ budget |
| << < (4/18) > >> |
| nctnico:
Power supply: look at the GW Instek gpp-4323 It is better (features and ease of use) compared to what Rigol and Siglent offer. Bench DMM: if you don't need high accuracy, then look at the Vici VC8145 (4.5 digits). I have two sitting on my bench for over a decade and they have been sitting on my bench longer than anything else. All other equipment got replaced. Signal generator: SGD2042x is nice but does have its shortcoming especially when you want to do precision time / frequency stuff using an external reference. Maybe opt for a cheaper model and save up for something better. Soldering iron: don't save money here. Stay clear of JBC and Weller though; their tips are so bad (not picking up solder and impossible to get going again). Personally I have great experience with soldering irons from Ersa. Their tips just won't go bad. |
| RoGeorge:
If I were to live in USA and equip a test bench, I'll buy second hand 30-50 years old instruments. USA seems to have plenty of these on Ebay and Craiglist at affordable price, while their performance are still on par with the current top notch research instruments (the old ones have better performance than any average grade brand new instruments of today, while the SH are 10-100 times cheaper). Apart from the recommended instruments in that list, you may want/need to also have: - 2 x SMU (4 quadrants power supply and active load) - RF generator - VNA The fume extractor is useless, unless you solder 24/7 in a very small room and without windows, but whatever. |
| geneonline:
--- Quote from: nctnico on March 28, 2022, 08:12:12 am ---Power supply: look at the GW Instek gpp-4323 It is better (features and ease of use) compared to what Rigol and Siglent offer. --- End quote --- WOW! Really went under the radar for me. This GW Instek gpp4323 even has 4 outputs! Readback resolution and ripple noise is better too! This really has some impressive specs. It is loads ahead of the others from performance. Screen looks great and seems to have pretty similar settings. How has this model held up for you if you currently have one? I would prob need to save a little on the DMM and I was thinking of maybe skipping the sgd2042x for the time being if the oscilloscope I am waiting for quotes back has a functional one for the time being. What would be a great reference point for a higher end signal generator? Do you mind me asking which projects were you working on that would help syncing with other devices? I may go budget option till I find myself needing the higher precision work. This week will be spent digging back into the forums and watching reviews on soldering irons and work stations as it's a topic I need to make sure I get something decent to make life easier! --- Quote from: RoGeorge on March 28, 2022, 08:50:16 am ---buy second hand 30-50 years old instruments. USA seems to have plenty of these on Ebay and Craiglist at affordable price, while their performance are still on par with the current top notch research instruments (the old ones have better performance than any average grade brand new instruments of today, while the SH are 10-100 times cheaper). --- End quote --- Second hand local listings didnt have many hits, but seems the north part of USA from the ebay listings seem to have better hits on ebay. I'll refer back it to and see if I can snag a deal! I'm not too knowledgeable about older reputable brands. Would be nice to have some equipment is like a tank and never die. --- Quote from: RoGeorge on March 28, 2022, 08:50:16 am ---- 2 x SMU (4 quadrants power supply and active load) - RF generator - VNA --- End quote --- I may have prematurely purchased the previous power supply and will find out more about 4 quadrant power supply. Seems a lot more functional than a normal dc power supply. RF generator and VNA are on next years wish list! |
| nctnico:
--- Quote from: geneonline on March 28, 2022, 09:09:17 am --- --- Quote from: nctnico on March 28, 2022, 08:12:12 am ---Power supply: look at the GW Instek gpp-4323 It is better (features and ease of use) compared to what Rigol and Siglent offer. --- End quote --- WOW! Really went under the radar for me. This GW Instek gpp4323 even has 4 outputs! Readback resolution and ripple noise is better too! This really has some impressive specs. It is loads ahead of the others from performance. Screen looks great and seems to have pretty similar settings. How has this model held up for you if you currently have one? --- End quote --- I don't own one myself. Keysight was ahead with releasing the E3631x series power supplies so I got one of those but if I had to buy a power supply today, I likely end up with buying the GPP4323. BTW: the GPP4323 can act as a DC load as well! --- Quote ---I would prob need to save a little on the DMM and I was thinking of maybe skipping the sgd2042x for the time being if the oscilloscope I am waiting for quotes back has a functional one for the time being. What would be a great reference point for a higher end signal generator? Do you mind me asking which projects were you working on that would help syncing with other devices? I may go budget option till I find myself needing the higher precision work. --- End quote --- I ended up buying a Tektronix AFG31000 series (business purchase). It is a 'used' unit from a test equipment dealer but the one I got was like brand new in the box with several years of manufacturer warranty left. Some of the projects I work on involve high accuracy (picosecond level) time transfer where a signal generator must be locked to an external reference precisely (zero frequency offset) in order to create predictable & repeateable offsets / drifts. |
| 2N3055:
Built in gen in SDS2000X+ has only one ch, smaller maximum output signal level etc. It is very basic AWG that is great in a pinch and mostly useful for Bode plot, because it's all in one... SDG2000X might be a good match for you. 2CH is useful any time you need to create two signals at the same time. AWG is a laboratory instrument that doesn't have predefined use. It's more of a universal building block you can use in many ways for your experiments. I have DP831A from Rigol and it has good performance as PSU. Noise is much less than specified, and works well. I has a problem with overvoltage protection that is basically useless. It is done in software, it takes good fraction of second to kick in (as in too late) and is even so stupid that it will let you enable channel with voltage set higher than OVP limit, it will enable that high voltage on output, burning everything connected for 200 ms and then software will disable it. It would be trivial for software to recognize you want something not allowed and simply refuse to enable channel with error message. Also it will let you raise output voltage higher that OVP limit hile output is enabled. It will also let you type in 30V with 3,5V OPV limit set. And it will happily raise output to 30V and 0,2 s later it will disable output with OVP message. With smoke coming out of anything connected. Instead just simply refusing to set anything over set limit. So I treat it as if it doesn't have OVP (because it doesn't). |
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